Honda and Yamaha cooperate to produce electric vehicles
Honda and Yamaha announced today that they have reached an agreement under which Honda will supply Yamaha with electric motorcycle models for the Japanese market.
The models will be based on the Honda “EM1 e:” and “BENLY e:I” Class-1 category* models, as the OEM (original equipment manufacturer). The two companies will conduct further discussions to sign a formal agreement.
In October 2016, the two companies began discussions on the possibility of forming a business alliance in Japan’s Class 1 motorcycle market to address the many challenges motorcycle makers face, including complying with increasingly stringent safety standards and emissions regulations, as well as pursuing electrification.
Key areas of discussion include:
1) Supply 50cc scooter models as OEM,
2) Joint development/OEM supply of next generation 50cc business scooter models and
3) Cooperation towards the goal of popularizing electric motorbikes in segment 1.
Based on that discussion, in March 2018, Honda started supplying 50cc scooter models to Yamaha as an OEM.
Furthermore, in April 2019, Honda and Yamaha, together with Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd. and Suzuki Motor Corporation, established Swappable Battery Alliance for Electric Motorcycles with the aim of popularizing electric motorbike models.
The Federation has discussed the possibility of standardizing common interchangeable batteries and their swapping systems as one of the solutions to address the main challenges in the popularization of electric motorcycles – operating range and charging time – and reached a standardization agreement (establishing common specifications) in March 2021.
Following these initiatives, Honda and Yamaha have agreed that Honda will supply Class-1 models to Yamaha as an OEM, based on the EM1 e: and BENLY e:I, powered by the Honda Mobile Power Pack e: interchangeable batteries that comply with common specifications. Through this collaboration, the two companies will continue to provide electric motorcycle models that meet the needs of a wider range of customers in the Class-1 category, which is a popular category for both personal and business mobility.
To further popularize electric motorcycles in the Class 1 segment in Japan, the two companies will enhance their product lineup and continue to address the many challenges facing electric motorcycles such as operating range, charging time, performance and cost, while working to contribute to the realization of a carbon-neutral society.
*Category Type 1: The category defined by the Japanese Road Vehicle Act as “vehicles equipped with two or more wheels and an engine with a total cylinder capacity of 50 cc or less or an electric motor with a rated output of 0.60 kW or less”.
